-
Born
Alexi Pappas was born in Berkley, California. -
Mother's Suicide
Alexi's mother committed suicide when she was only four years old. This would end up being the root of many of Alexi's struggles and desires as she grew up. She lacked a mother figure and this was displayed throughout her childhood. page 24 -
Dartmouth University
Alexi Pappas got into Dartmouth University in and ran for their cross country team throughout all four years. She struggled exremely due to the fact that she was not nearly as skilled as her teammates at the time because she hadn't run competitively since her junior year of highschool. She also struggled with the academics of Dartmouth to the point where one of her professors asked her if she had a learning disability (Pappas 73-74). -
University of Oregon
In her senior year at Dartmouth, Alexi had a choice to make. SHe could pursue her poetry degree or go to the University of Oregon to run. She says, ". . . I was also in touch with coaches from the University of Oregon, who were offering me a spot on their legendary cross-country team to run as a fifth-year super-senior." (Pappas 55). This opportunity would help her achieve her dreams of competing in the Olympics. -
MFA Programs
While having the option of going to UO to run cross-country, Alexi also had the option of attending a MFA program. In the autobiography she says, "I had recently gotten the news that I had been awarded a full scholarship to three of the top MFA programs in the country," (Pappas 55). Alexi wanted to get a degree in poetry, so this opportunity would have made her dream come true. -
Rio Olympics
Alexi had been working for years to get into the Olympics. She finally acheived her goal in 2016. She was ". . .the first female distance runner for Greece ever to make it to the Olympics in the 10,000 meters," (Pappas 95). This put a lot of pressure on her but despite this, she set a new national record for Greece for this event in the Olympics. -
Tracktown Release Pt.1
Alexi and her now husband, Jeremy Teicher, made their first co-directed movie, Tracktown. This movie was the first step in her film career and it ended up being her first movie out of three. The release of this movie affected Alexi in different ways, she was becoming very successful, but she was also facing backlash from the reviews. -
Tracktown Release Pt.2
The first film review she read about herself was from Variety which was a big deal to her since it was such a popular platform. The review stated, "'Pappas isn't shy about revealing her flat chest and freakishly gnarled feet,'" (Pappas 231). This review caused her to feel offended for a moment, but then she felt like she had made it as a filmmaker because other creators had endured the same reviews and they felt like the reviewer simply didn't understand the concept of the movie. (Pappas 231). -
Period: to
Beginning of the battle of depression
"When it began, it came in the form of sleeplessness." (Pappas 113). After the Rio Olympics, Alexi started to feel the "post-Olympic depression", but she didn't know that this was much more than just that. She felt tired all the time and she was very stressed, but she continued to train as hard as she did before the Olympics, instead of taking a break (Pappas 113). This led to her becoming injured, suicidal, and so depressed that it affected her relationships and her daily routines. -
Period: to
Healing from injuries and extreme depression Pt.1
When Alexi was at her lowest, she had torn her hamstring and lost her contract with Nike. She was trying to heal her hamstring by going to every type of doctor and at the same time she was trying to regain her contract. After everything, she finally gave in to her brother and father begging her to seek professional mental help. She met "Dr. Arpaia, who a long with my dad, saved my life." (Pappas 141). This doctor is a psychologist as well as a psychiatrist which was exactly what she needed. -
Period: to
Healing from injuries and extreme depression Pt.2
Dr. Arpaia believed in Alexi, which was the only motivation she needed to battle her struggles. He told her exactly what she needed to hear. Other doctors had given her diagnoses that she didn't understand, but when Dr. Arpaia diagnosed her she said, "This was the first diagnosis I had been given that I understood." (Pappas 142). This doctor was one of the only people who truly understood her and knew just what she needed to do to heal.